The Yeast Beast

For those of you who have had the joy of knowing about our recent diaper rash dilemma, I have good news...The yeast beast has been defeated!!! For those of you who have been deprived of such yeasty information, let me bring you up to speed. So, Grace Louise had a diaper rash that persisted and worsened for 15 days!!! I tried your usual zinc oxide diaper creams, Vaseline, cornstarch, a combination of the three, neosporin, triple paste. No diapers, cloth diapers, disposable diapers, sensitive disposables. And then there were the baths... baking soda, chamomile tea, raw milk, and apple cider vinegar (my go-to remedy for EVERYTHING, but that's a post of its own). In a two hour goose chase I even hunted down the mother of all diaper creams (at Publix of all places), California Baby Calendula Cream- ringing in at a whopping $13. All to no avail.

What works in a pinch?
I Google searched some ideas for remedies and I came across the suggestion to use Lotriman or some kind of anti-fungal cream. Sounded a little harsh to me, plus I didn't think she had a yeast infection because she didn't seem to be having internal vaginal pain or irritation. At this point, however, I was ready to try anything. At church on Sunday, a friend saw the rash and suggested anti-fungal cream as well. Okay, enough confirmation for me. Definitely my next step. Picked up a tube of Lotriman on the way home and started applying it right away. Saw slight results overnight and then noticable healing between Monday and Tuesday. Each day there is improvement. It's Thursday and I'm still applying Caldesene powder, neosporin, and the anti-fungal cream.

Good to know.
After succumbing to the Lotriman remedy, I decided to do more "research" on yeast infections. First of all, I learned that the rash itself can be caused by yeast and can be solely external. A yeast rash doesn't necessarily mean an internal yeast infection (the kind women are so familiar with). I also learned that yeast can be persistent and should be treated for two weeks, even if physical symptoms have disappeared. Failure to do so could lead to resistance to the anti-fungal cream... kind of like antibiotics with a bacterial infection. I can't even imagine how scary the mutated version of the Yeast Beast might be!

So how do you tell if your baby has rash caused by yeast (vs a skin irritation)??
The yeast beast will typically appear as raised red bumps, appearing to even have fluid under the skin... like tiny blisters. Continued irritation from urine and feces, along with wiping, can easily lead to loss of skin integrity and open wounds. Ouch! Another way to tell if the rash is from yeast fungus is spreading from contact (for example from the outer labia to the inner thigh) or if it is found in the folds of the skin. Skin folds are typically spared in the case of a contact (non-yeast) diaper rash.

Natural Relief for Yeast
Ideally, I would have treated her yeast rash with natural methods, instead of using the Lotriman, but after almost two weeks, immediate relief was important. Thankfully, the anti-fungal cream delivered on its promise. I've since learned that a drop or two of tea tree oil on her cloth diapers will keep yeast at bay. Note to self: buy tea tree oil and avoid ever having to encounter the yeast beast again. Tea tree oil is naturally antiseptic and anti-fungal with loads of medicinal uses.

Garlic is also AMAZING at killing the yeast beast. Grace Louise ate two whole raw garlic cloves chopped up in yogurt. Poor thing- never even saw it coming! (Though afterwards I sure did pay for it...Peeyoo!) I'm hoping this garlic boost allowed her body to give ol' Candida a good kick in the rear! Consuming probiotics in yogurt, raw milk, or even pill form, is also important for killing yeast infections/rash. The body needs plenty of the "good guys" in order to prevent an overgrowth of Candida.

Obviously, keeping baby's skin dry puts up a great defense against yeast, as well as contact diaper rash. A wet and warm, anaerobic environment is like the Hilton for yeast, when what we really want to give them is the Motel 8.

Thanking God today for answering my prayer and providing a remedy to bring relief to my baby girl!